Qualmark Tourism Business Advisors are fully trained and qualified to undertake Qualmark evaluations, and come with commercial experience in hospitality, accommodation management and/or assessing.
As well as conducting the evaluation, their goal is to add value to your business.
Accommodation specialist
Amanda brings a wealth of knowledge from her experience operating tourism businesses within New Zealand and offshore. She has been assessing accommodation businesses in New Zealand for 10 years.
“Sharing knowledge within our industry to ensure our guests have wonderful experiences as well as helping businesses to remain economically and environmentally sustainable is very rewarding” says Amanda.
Tourism Business Advisor
Andy has an extensive background in the tourism industry with a career spanning 30 years in New Zealand, Australia, UK, Europe and Fiji. Andy has operated a tourism training business for the past 15 years focussing on helping SME’s in the adventure tourism, transport and accommodation sectors deliver exceptional experiences.
Alongside this, he has operated a marketing business specialising in adventure tourism and resorts in Fiji. A passionate outdoorsman he has a keen interest in sustainability. Andy’s strengths are in marketing, delivering great experience and team development. Andy is a qualified health and safety auditor and holds a Grad.Dip.OHS from Massey University.
Andy’s drive is to work in partnership with license holders to deliver great customer experiences and ensure the ongoing sustainability of their operations.
Accommodation specialist
After running her own lodge for 27 years, Di has extensive knowledge of the ins and outs of operating a tourism business. Having been there and done that, Di brings her unique experience and empathy to the role of Qualmark business advisor. “On the whole people really appreciate the recommendations that we make and it’s extremely satisfying seeing them successfully put in place”.
Erin’s extensive experience within the hospitality and accommodation industries has built a strong background within the areas of quality assurance, business development, operations management, health and safety and compliance. Based in Rotorua, Erin will be focusing on the accommodation and endorsement sectors for the central North Island working in partnership to support sustainable business operators.
Harald brings an international background within the hospitality and tourism industries, with roles at one of Europe’s most luxurious hotels overseeing staff training and the implementation of total quality management. Based in Palmerston North, and looking after our lower North Island partners within both the endorsements and accommodation sectors, Harald brings his passion for travel, hospitality and a drive to help operators improve their results.
VISITOR ACTIVITIES, TRANSPORT AND SERVICES
Having spent her entire career in the New Zealand tourism industry, Heather has extensive experience having held senior roles in coaching, tour operations, car and camper van rentals, and accommodation businesses. Having worked alongside numerous accommodation and adventure activity providers across the country, and with experience of having been put through the evaluation process many times as an operator, Heather has an in-depth understanding of the key requirements for success in both large and small tourism businesses and strives to provide relevant insights to the partners she works with.
Her aim, as a Qualmark Tourism Business Advisor, is to add value to every business she works with.
VISITOR ACTIVITIES, TRANSPORT AND SERVICES
Based in the Waitaki Valley between Oamaru and Omarama, Ian has a background in startups and business development. His experience ranges from owning a country pub and mountain biking business to being a chief executive and board chair. He has a Post Graduate Diploma of Tourism from Otago University. Ian spent two years as marketing manager for Tourism Waitaki.
Visitor activities, transport and services
Based in Queenstown, John has many years' experience in New Zealand and international tourism, including multiple stints as a nature guide, wine guide, skipper, wilderness lodge manager and staff trainer. Alongside his role with Qualmark, John also lectures part time at the Queenstown Resort College in Adventure Tourism Management.
Accommodation specialist
Kevin Gough has 40 years’ experience of working across many sectors of New Zealand tourism. He has a strong career profile in tourism management, leading teams in sales and marketing, with a recent focus on commercial accommodation.
He is passionate about New Zealand tourism and a supporter of Qualmark since its inception. For the past 20 years, Kevin has been General Manager of Best Western Hotels & Resorts, Golden Chain Motels and TOP 10 Holiday Parks – all Qualmark partner chains.
Nineke brings over 20 years' experience in tourism marketing, planning, sales and public relations, and is passionate about supporting sustainable businesses.
She has built extensive relationships with industry partners internationally, working for Lankhorst PR in the Netherlands with clients including Tourism New Zealand and Air New Zealand. At home, Nineke has held positions as Marketing Manager for Destination Northland (now Northland Inc) and as Sales & Marketing Manager for the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. Based in the Bay of Islands, Nineke is passionate about supporting business development, building relationships and adding value for the ongoing sustainability of our upper North Island partners.
Visitor activities, transport and services
Peter’s experience comes from over 20 years in the snow sports industry, a brief stint in food and beverage, and 11 years owning and running an adventure tourism business operating under concessions and licences from DOC, NZTA and Maritime New Zealand. Peter brings first-hand insights which can really assist small to medium tourism enterprises.
ACCOMMODATION SPECIALIST
Tori Anderson has extensive knowledge of star ratings systems and a strong track record in business consultancy, with a passion for coaching, mentoring and building relationships. She worked for the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa, providing star ratings assessments for accommodation and restaurants and established a star rating system at 400 hotels throughout Ethiopia where she coached and mentored staff to be hotel inspectors. Trained in the hospitality industry, Tori describes customer service as being part of her DNA.